Singing in chest and mix

bentk

Hi there. Wasn't sure where to post this, so i'm putting this here.

If you can sing a song in a light 'mix' type of sound (think something like bruno mars), so a lot of weight is taken of the chest sound, and it is in range --> Should you also be able to sing this in full-chest too? Some things i can sing far better in a lighter mix instead of full chest.

And another thing: when i sing in this light chest-mix, it can be more difficult to come from this sound into a high resonating note than when i am singing full-chest.

I hope someone understands!

Thanks!

highmtn

Singers sometimes use light mix when they don't have the stamina to sing it in full chest. Light mix may also sound better to suit the style of the song. You won't have any chest to mix in up there if you are unable to sing the notes in chest voice. That's one of the main reasons for stretching chest voice - to be able to mix at very high notes. If you can't sing the note in chest, then how can you mix any chest sound of that note?

For example, a B4 in mix needs some B4 in head and some B4 in chest to blend together. Where are you going to get that B4 in chest to add to the blend, if you can't sing a B4 in chest? Answer: It's going to be a very light note... So it's a heady mix, with not much chest in it at all.

That's not to say the song won't sound better in a mix than in a full chest belt. If it fits the style of the song, then it's all good.

bentk

In most cases i can sing all the notes in chest. Maybe it's more of a stamina build.
In some songs i seem to get 'stuck' more easily when doing them full chest, instead of a lighter chest/mix sound. With stuck i mean getting choked up a little, preventing you from in your higher register as well as you normally can. I have been checking my support a lot these days, and i seem to understand it pretty well. Did the floor exercises, and i get what people mean by leaning into the sound. The one i prefer to use is: exhale like your are inhaling. It seems to keep the diaphragm down.

Any thoughts?

highmtn

Yes. If the inhalation feeling works well for you, that's good.

And you are right about it taking a lot less stamina to do the mix as opposed to singing the same note in full chest voice.

bentk

Thanks bob.

This inhalation feeling seems to force me to keep room at the belly as long as possible, so then you also keep the diaphragm down.

Now you can force your belly out quite extreme and tensing up those muscle like as if you were doing leg levers. But i notice that you don't need an insane amount of tension on the whole, just steady and enough. The higher register does need some power though. Or am i thinking wrong? because let's say if i sing in my mid-chest register, a steady amount of pressure is all i seem to need.

However, is it normal that i contract really hard on my higher notes in the scales? especially EE needs a lot of support. I feel some pressure then, but i am not really making my throat tired or anything, just pushing down etc. to make room for the tension

highmtn

If you feel that you need to blast out in order to sing a higher note, that means that instead, you need to push down that much more, not blast out that much more. Cut back that much more.

bentk

Thanks for the confirmation bob!